It's still early in the off-season. There are plenty of free agents still on the phone with their agents or waiting for phone calls from teams. Some teams are wondering how to fill some of the holes they have on their team. Some are looking for just the right piece to become a contender. And then..... There is Portland. Portland, the team with over $70 million in cap space to spend but no clear direction and more holes to fill than Ka..... well, you get the picture.
Four consecutive losing seasons and years of signing players to one year contracts has set up a roster that is currently in shambles. The Lumberjacks currently have just 5 pitchers on the roster and one outfielder. The 40-man roster currently has 22 players on it, four of whom have never seen big league action and another 5 guys who have played in 4 games or fewer in the BBA. "I have little to no hope for this team" commented one fan on a message board this week. "This could be the worst team ever in the BBA" commented another.
Those fans could be correct. Pitching has been a major sore spot for this team the last few seasons and some reports surfaced this week that many of the serviceable arms in free agency this off-season have no desire to pitch in Portland. There have been some comments that pitchers don't like manager Mons Raider, which confuses many people due to Raider's laid back personality. Portland GM Chris Wilson had hoped to unite Ken Sparks and Chris Thompson back in Portland in 2058 but indications from both their agents are neither have any desire to pitch again for the Lumberjacks, which is surprising considering the success the duo had in leading the team to a pair of Landis Series. It appears this sentiment is shared by more than just Thompson and Sparks.
"We'll be fine" commented Wilson when asked at a season ticket members luncheon this week. "I know the fans are itching for a winner again and we're going to build that. We have some fine young talent that's ready to make their mark this season. And we're going to find the pieces this off-season to build around them and make this team a contender. I think we'll see a big month of signings coming our way and then we'll do what we've done in recent years and find some guys that no one else wants who will perform for us later this winter. Don't be surprised to see this team competing at our above .500 this season."
It appears Wilson is saying what fans want to hear. Regardless of whether the fans truly believe his nonsense. Perhaps fans can look forward to more Cernunos Habernuckle promotional nights in 2058. That'll surely create a buzz around the team.
